Garment stretcher clamp



March 3, 1942.

O. L. NYGAARD E'IAL GARMENT STRETCHER'CLAMP Filed Feb. 3, 1939 Patented Mar. 3, 1942 ET E STAT E S P GARMENT STRETCHER CLAMP Application February 3, 1939, Serial No. 254,506

In Norway February 4, 1938 I 4 Claims.

It is a disadvantage that clothes after having been washed require two persons for the stretching process.

The main purpose of the present invention is to obtain an apparatus allowing stretching of clothes by one person only.

For this purpose is arranged a turnable lever which coacts with a plate in such a manner that the clothes when placed on this plate and the lever moved towards the same will be fastened so that the fastening force is increased by stretching the clothes. Suitably the fastening lever may be provided with a corrugated contact roller, as an example made from an elastic substance such as rubber. In order to secure an elastic yielding during the stretching process the apparatus may be mounted on a springy plate.

The invention is illustrated in the enclosed drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a side view of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 shows a front View of the same.

i Fig. 3 shows a detail of the apparatus seen from above with the fastening plate and the lever removed.

In the drawing l designates the bottom plate of the apparatus which may be fastened to the wall by screws, the screw holes 2 having extended portions for insertingthe head of the screws. The plate I is by means of stiff springs 3 connected to the front plate 4 which in itself is yielding owing to a hoop 5. 6 designates a stiffening rib which may be integral with a bottom plate I as shown.

To the plate 4 is fastened a rigid frame consisting suitably of a bent bar of steel which has a lower branch I sloping outwards and an upper branch 8 directed outwards and having a perpendicular connection portion 9. To the branch I is fastened a squeezing plate II}, as an example made from wood, and on the part 9 is by means of a turnable bearing ll supported turnably a lever which has an upper manipulating handle 12 and a lower extended part 13 in which is supported a fluted rubber roller l4. I designates a fastening ball placed yieldingly on the bearing II, the fastening ball keeping the lever in its position of release.

When the apparatus is to be used, the handle I2 is turned forwards so that the roller [4 is lifted from the squeezing plate In and is fastened in the upper position by means of a locking part as an example a yieldingly supported ball. The end of the clothes which are to be stretched is placed on the plate, whereupon the lever is released so that the roller may fall down upon the clothes. When stretching the clothes, the roller I4 is moved forwards so that it is further forced against the clothes and the latter are fastened safely due to the fact that the portion of the lever between the pivot of the lever and the roller is of such a length as to cause a jamming action of the roller on the clothes when swung towards the table, however, the arrangement is such that it may easily be removed as soon as the lever is removed from the clothes. During the operation the springs 3 secure a desired elastic reaction force.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for fastening clothes for stretching purposes including a table, a fixed support spaced above the table, a lever pivotally mounted in the support, a fluted resilient roller turnably mounted at the outer end of the lever for cooperating with the table for fastening clothes during the stretching action, that portion of the lever extending between the pivot and the roller being of a length capable of jamming the roller into clamping engagement with the table when it is swung towards the latter, and a handle for manipulating the lever.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the fixed support is in the form of a bracket including an upper portion for supporting the lever, a vertical intermediate connecting portion and a lower portion which receives the table and supports the latter at a slight upward inclination.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which co-operative means are arranged on the lever and the fixed support for releasably maintaining the lever in an inactive position.

4. Apparatus for fastening clothes for stretching purposes comprising a main frame, including spaced upper and lower interconnected branches the lower of which is inclined slightly upwardly, a table supported by the lower branch, a lever supported turnably in the upper branch, a fluted resilient roller turnably mounted at the outer end of the lever for co-operating with the table 'for fastening the clothes during the stretching action, that portion of the lever extending between the pivot and the roller being of a length capable of jamming the roller into clamping engagement with thetables when it is swung towards the latter, a handle for manipulating the OLAF LUDVIK NYGAARD. ERLING KRISTIAN EIKVANG. 

